"Trade unionists, human rights activists, journalists, dignitaries of endogenous religions, and even ordinary citizens feel threatened when exercising their right to freedom of expression. Generally, they fear prosecution cases against them being mounted by the authorities. Business people and entre
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preneurs are also targeted through fiscal pressure or unexpected controls placed on their companies. The Digital Code, passed in 2017, is a source of fear for Benin journalists. Under this code, the Central Cybercrime Repression Authority arrested journalist Ignace Sossou on 19 December 2019 at his house. At his trial, Sossou was sentenced to 12-months imprisonment, six of which he served in prison, and a fine for harassment for relaying the prosecutor’s words during a seminar on Twitter. Fear of reprisals pushes the media to practice self-censorship. Psychological pressure seems to prevent journalists from freely exercising freedom of expression. There are also fears regarding the use of social media networks. There is an explicit restriction of civic space in general, and citizens are afraid of being tapped. Due to abuse by the press and certain citizens, several provisions of the Digital Code hamper freedom of expression. This is perceived as a political manoeuvre to dampen the citizens’ desire to express themselves freely [...]" (Summary, page 5)
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"The survey found that 58% of Kenyans interviewed consume TV content on a typical day. This translates to approximately 16,740,493 Kenyans aged above 15 years who consume TV content. This is a drop from 74% of the respondents recorded in the 2020 survey. Across the regions, 60% of persons in North E
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astern, 57% of people in Western, 45% of people in Nyanza and 42% of people in Coast regions do not consume TV content. The average time per day spent watching TV was calculated to 2 hours. This is lower than the global average time spent watching TV, which is 3 hours, 24 minutes. Approximately 19% and 64% of the people access TV content via Pay TV decoders and free to air set top boxes. The most watched content on TV includes news, entertainment, religious and sports content, with at least 11% of all the mentions made by respondents. A total of 70% of the content consumed is on local TV content, compared to 30% of foreign TV content. Citizen TV, KTN Home and NTV had 27%, 11% and 9% of all the mentions respectively, as one of the 3 most watched TV channels by respondents. Some of the respondents could not however distinguish between KTN Home and KTN News. Across the country, radio content is consumed by 74% of Kenyans on a typical day. This translates to approximately 21,459,073 Kenyans who consume radio content. This proportion is not different from the proportion recorded in 2020 survey. The average time per day spent listening to radio was calculated to 2 hours. This is higher than the global average time spent on listening to radio, which is 1 hour [...]" (Executive summary)
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"The assessment found that Ethiopia's media ecosystem's weaknesses have made it vulnerable to fake news, misinformation, and hate speech. Some of the driving factors are undoubtedly historical, including the weak state of private media in Ethiopia, the critical role of the Ethiopian diaspora in medi
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a ownership, and the proliferation and wild rise in popularity of entertainment-news page services Facebook and Twitter. To better understand the problem, the project team analysed a small sample of fake news instances, misinformation, and hate speech, sorting them into sub-categories and looking for trends amongst them. Analysis of the samples' subject matter indicated that ethnonationalism and federalism were the topics most likely to feature examples of fake news, misinformation, and hate speech. Similarly, on examining the typologies of fake news samples, we found that the highest proportion was "fabricated" (without any grounding in truth). Equally, the assessment of misinformation revealed that propaganda and bias were prevalent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were relatively few hate speech examples from well-known media sources' print and social media pages. However, incitement to hostility against specific groups was often found in social media users' accompanying comments. Instances of all three categories are explored through case studies. Finally, the report considers and outlines a potential risk-based approach to mitigation. With a better understanding of the problems and challenges, it becomes easier to develop more nuanced solutions. The report proposes a pro-active and risk-based approach, which identifies likely and potentially fake news, misinformation, and hate speech flashpoints and lays out the actions that will be required to mitigate them." (Executive summary)
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"This practical guide aims to provide journalists with concrete legal tools to deal with online harassment, be it to identify punishable offences, to seek help from appropriate organisations, to efficiently gather evidence and to take steps should they decide to file a complaint against the perpetra
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tors. Where appropriate, it also presents examples of litigation initiated by journalists who were victims of online harassment. It covers online harassment of journalists in Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom (England and Wales) and the United States. Although none of these countries provide specific provisions sanctioning online harassment of journalists, they all offer civil and criminal law provisions that make it possible to apprehend, punish and compensate all or part of the most common abuses committed against journalists. In addition to the comprehensive presentation of the legal tools available for journalists in each of these jurisdictions, this guide aims to provide journalists with an overview of the solutions available to combat situations of online harassment, in order to enable them to choose the best legal forum to exercise their rights." (Introduction)
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"How does Chinese central media represent Africa through its environmental news? This article argues that the way in which Chinese central media organisations have reported environmental issues across the African continent has altered from a reactive “charm defensive” towards the promotion of a
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developmental model: “Ecological Civilisation”. Based on a critical discourse analysis of headline African news published by the Xinhua News Agency, this research illustrates the emergence of this new, unexpected turn in Chinese representations of Africa, as well as highlighting the coherencies and tensions within this discourse. Questioning why this change in the emphasis of content has occurred, it investigates explanations at the macro-, mezzo-, and micro-levels of analysis, concluding that the evidence indicates that Xinhua’s content remains closely linked to the soft power goals of the Chinese Communist Party. However, the presence of risk discourses in some reports indicates that the hegemonic discourse is altering. This could potentially be the result of Xinhua’s own commercial objectives in Africa, or of the subjectivities of individual Xinhua journalists seeping into reports." (Abstract)
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"This paper presents results from a three-arm randomized controlled trial in Zambia with a sample of nearly 1200 adolescent girls enrolled in Grade 7. Selected primary schools (N=36) were randomly assigned within each of three districts to one of three arms: 1) e-readers, which girls could take home
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, provided within a safe space group platform plus community engagement activities; 2) safe space groups plus community engagement activities; and 3) control. The intent-to-treat estimates indicate that girls in the e-reader arm scored significantly better on two basic literacy assessments as well as non-verbal reasoning compared with girls in the control arm." (Abstract)
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"[This book] provides an overview of the key issues in global journalism today and traces how media systems have evolved over time in different world regions. Taking into account local context as well as technological change across media industries, the book offers an up-to-date, thorough overview o
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f media developments in all world regions embedded in their unique political, cultural and economic context. Covering theoretical foundations of global journalism, from the classic Four Theories of the Press to more nuanced media models, this text proposes a framework for studying world media systems. Contributed chapters cover a wide range of topics, including media freedom, global news cultures, professional ethics and responsibilities, and education of global journalists, as well as the role of technology and issues such as fake news, soft power and public diplomacy, foreign news reporting and international news flow." (Publisher description)
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"Como esperábamos, había diferencias regionales entre los medios digitales en África, el Sudeste Asiático y América Latina que incluimos en este informe. Pero lo que más nos llamó la atención cuando revisábamos los datos eran las similitudes que emergían entre estas organizaciones de notic
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ias a medida que intentaban cubrir sus comunidades y construir modelos de negocio sustentables. Aunque la mayoría cuenta con presupuestos bastante reducidos, estos medios tienen un impacto sobresaliente comparado con el tamaño de sus equipos y recursos. Muchos se especializan en periodismo de investigación y de datos, y más del 50% ha ganado premios nacionales o internacionales por su trabajo. Punto de Inflexión 2021 representa la investigación más exhaustiva y profunda realizada sobre el estado de los medios nativos digitales en América Latina, el Sudeste Asiático y África. Como muchas de las cosas que hemos aprendido en nuestro mundo durante la pandemia, descubrimos una mezcla de amenazas alarmantes y, al mismo tiempo, logros inspiradores." (Resumen ejecutive, página 6)
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"Como era de se esperar, houve diferenças regionais entre os veículos jornalísticos digitais na África, Sudeste Asiático e América Latina que incluímos neste relatório. Mas o que mais nos impressionou ao analisarmos os dados foram as semelhanças que surgiram entre essas organizações jorna
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lísticas ao se esforçarem para cobrir suas comunidades e construir modelos de negócios sustentáveis. Embora a maioria opere com orçamentos relativamente reduzidos, elas têm um impacto que excede seu peso em comparação ao tamanho de suas equipes e recursos. Muitas delas são especializadas em jornalismo investigativo e de dados, e mais de 50% já ganharam prêmios nacionais ou internacionais por seu trabalho. Este estudo, Ponto de Inflexão Internacional, representa a mais profunda e ampla pesquisa já feita sobre o estado da mídia nativa digital na América Latina, Sudeste Asiático e África. Como acontece com tantas coisas em nosso mundo não-quase-pós-pandêmico, o que descobrimos foi uma combinação de ameaças alarmantes e descobertas inspiradoras." (Resumo executivo, pagina 6)
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"Burundi’s scrutiny and control of media and nongovernmental organizations, and the conviction after deeply flawed proceedings of 12 journalists and activists in exile have a continued chilling effect on their work, Human Rights Watch said today. Almost one year after President Évariste Ndayishim
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iye’s inauguration, the authorities have sent contradictory signals. They have lifted some restrictions imposed on civil society and media since the country’s 2015 political crisis. But they have also doubled down on human rights defenders and journalists who are perceived to be critical of the government. A human rights activist and a former member of parliament convicted of abusive charges remain in detention. “The government should go beyond symbolic gestures of good faith to address the entrenched system of repression under the late President Pierre Nkurunziza,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Substantive reforms are needed to address the lack of judicial independence, politicized prosecutions, and the absence of accountability for abuses committed since 2015.” (Introduction)
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"This study, undertaken during the COVID-19 outbreak in Burkina Faso, found that radio enabled sharing of rapid, relevant, and reliable information, even during COVID-19 and a deteriorating security situation. Radio can be considered and deployed in emergency context as an urgent response tool. Huma
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nitarian actors can use radio to disseminate rapid, relevant, and reliable information to conflict-affected communities and counter disinformation. Involving affected communities in the production and dissemination of information, through interactive broadcasts and as sources of information, helps improve its effectiveness as a public health messaging tool." (Introduction)
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"Today, a variety of gender-based threats and discrimination continue to characterize journalism. Both male and female journalists are prone to online and offline threats, casual stereotypes in their routine work, and discrimination (especially in terms of job opportunities, promotion, and pay-scale
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). Working in a safe and non-discriminatory environment is the right of all journalists, regardless of their gender. The Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism is a critical reference book that highlights equal rights in journalism to ensure the safety of women and men. The book investigates the level and nature of threats, both online and offline, faced by journalists as well as gender discrimination in journalism. Best practices and examples that can promote a safe working environment and gender equality in journalism are also presented. Highlighting important themes such as online harassment, sexism, and gender-based violence, this book is ideal for journalists, reporters, media organizations, professionals, researchers, academicians, and students working or studying in the fields of journalism, media and communications, human rights, and women's studies." (Publisher description)
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"Der Umgang mit der Kolonialgeschichte, die hierzulande lange im Schatten der Aufarbeitung des Nationalsozialismus und des Holocaust stand, unterliegt gegenwärtig einem grundlegenden Wandel. Zwar zählt auch Deutschland faktisch zu den postkolonialen Gesellschaften Europas, doch ist diese Tatsache
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kaum in das Bewusstsein der Menschen und in das Handeln der Politik vorgedrungen. Der Sammelband zieht Bilanz und will zugleich die notwendige Auseinandersetzung um eine Dekolonisierung globaler wie lokaler Machtverhältnisse und eine Dekolonialisierung der immer noch dominierenden Wissens- und Deutungsmacht des »Westens« anregen. Die aktuellen Debatten um den Völkermord an den Herero und Nama oder die koloniale Beutekunst im geplanten Humboldt Forum in Berlin richten den Fokus ein ums andere Mal auf eine koloniale Vergangenheit, die nicht vergehen will." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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